Чисто поле / The Open Plain

The Open Plain is а place for introspection about borders and the rules of play. Its flat, uniform surface disorients us, thus rendering our choice of direction meaningless. The game takes over and marks up the field. Placed on a real football field, looking down deconstructed pitch lines formed from projected light beams, the viewer perceives them as the only possible reference point for space and direction. Order exists only within an isolated space, outside of which there is only a vague darkness. As soon as the lines and borders blur or get mixed up, the viewer is forced to seek out a new place for themselves on the field in accordance with the airtight paradigm of inevitable motion and collision.

The lines and borders of the field restrict our movements, giving form to an inevitable conflict between the players seeking victory and control over this space. Ephemeral lines that are constantly shifting and guided only by their own internal logic disrupt the viewer’s ability to perceive space, hindering their ability to navigate real obstacles that are placed on the field. Having come to doubt the veracity of the visible space, the borders and limitations that were dictated only by fleeting lights disappear and what was before a confined field of play with clearly outlined rules and purpose becomes something larger and more abstract: an open plain.

Installation was created as a part of "Abstracts of Soviet Noise" exhibition project held in St. Petersburg in the period from November 22 to 26 2016 with the Bundeskanzleramt Österreich support at "Angar" indoor football field.